Milk Paint vs Chalk Paint: Which is best for furniture?

The debate between milk paint vs chalk paint has been going strong for over 15 years. Although they have many similar characteristics, there are also important differences to be aware of when deciding the best type of paint for your next project.

Milk paint and chalk paint are both quite versatile furniture paints. They can be used to create a vintage, shabby chic finish, which is the most common use of the paints. However, they can also both be used to create a smooth, uniform finish as well.

I’ve heard many people claim they’ve found the best paint for furniture. While I have found a few favorite brands of paint in my years of furniture painting, it’s not as much the brand of paint, but more the type of paint that matters in performance and look.

milk paint vs chalk paint comparison to pick the best for your furniture project

In this post, I’ll compare milk paint versus chalk paint to help you decide on if either is the right paint for your next project!

Milk Paint VS. Chalk Paint: in a Nutshell

There are a few main similarities in the way milk paint and chalk paint can look once they dry, but there are also differences in their basic components and the way in which they are applied.

Milk Paint

  • non-toxic, eco-friendly, organic paint
  • comes in powder form and must be mixed with water to form paint
  • paint is thinner (3 coats needed)
  • milk casein gives slight milky odor when painting
  • matte finish with some color variations
  • will chip away if painting on finished surfaces
  • use bonding agent and it will adhere very well to finished surfaces

Chalk Paint

  • made of inorganic compounds
  • comes pre-mixed in cans
  • thicker paint – full coverage in 2-3 coats
  • slight paint odor (some brands worse than others)
  • matte, chalky finish with some texture
  • adheres very well to wood and furniture

Similarities

Milk paint and chalk paint are both a water-based paint and made with calcium carbonate, giving them both an extremely matte finish once they dry. Chalk paint has low amounts of VOCs (volatile organic compounds) while milk paint is a zero VOC paint.

Milk paint and chalk paint dry quickly and a second coat can usually be applied in less than 30 minutes.

Both types of paint create some level of texture once they dry, however both can also easily be sanded to a smooth finish as well. Speaking of sanding, both paints distress very easily and naturally (unlike latex, oil-based and alkyd paints).

Both chalk paint and milk paint are porous once they dry and need a top coat to be protected from stains or wear.

Differences

The main difference when using these paints on a furniture piece is obvious as soon as you purchase the paint. First, milk paint comes in a powder form and requires mixing with water to make the paint while chalk paint comes pre-mixed in cans.

Milk paint is made with milk proteins (milk caseins) as the binding agent in the paint. This means milk paint is completely made of organic compounds while chalk paint is not (it’s made of inorganic compounds).

When applying the paint, both paints have slight odors. Chalk paint smells similar to a latex paint, but at a faint level. (Although some brands of chalk paint have a stronger smell.)

Milk paint has a very unique smell once mixed. The best description I can give is it smells slightly like sour cream (which makes sense because it’s made of milk proteins). Once dry, neither paint has any odor or smell.

Chalk paint adheres very well to most surfaces, whereas milk paint will actually chip away from most surfaces besides raw wood and unfinished cement. However, if the bonding agent is added to milk paint, it adheres just as well to most surfaces just like chalk paint does.

Although both paints dry to a matte finish, I find chalk paint to have more texture (brush strokes and ridges) than milk paint. However, milk can have some variation in color (think streaks of different hues), due to the colored powdered pigments in the paint.

Milk Paint

Milk paint is an all-natural type of paint that has been used for thousands of years. It comes in a powder form and is mixed with water to create a paint. Due to its natural ingredients, milk paint is even safe to use on wooden baby toys.

Dresser update with Miss Mustard Seed in Luckett's Green and French Enamel

Milk paint can be used on a variety of surfaces including wood, concrete, brick, and even walls. It gives slight variation in color throughout the piece and truly creates an authentic antique look on furniture.

I have a full post dedicated entirely to using milk paint on furniture. If you think you might want to use this paint, I’d highly recommend checking it out.

Brands of Milk Paint

There are several major brands of milk paint, which range slightly in cost from $27-$35 per quart of paint. The most popular brands are Miss Mustard Seed Milk Paint, Fusion Milk Paint, The Real Milk Paint Company, Old Fashioned Milk Paint and Tuscana Milk Paint.

four main brands of milk paint and how to use them to paint furniture
This table was painted with milk paint. Can you see the slight color variegation in the paint? The paint is completely smooth, but you can see the slight differences in color!

I’ve used all of these brands, and to be quite honest, they all are very similar. There is not one that performs differently than the others and all are beautiful paints.

Quick Note: There are a few brands of paint that use the term “milk paint” in their name, but they are not true versions of milk paint as described in this post. General Finishes Milk Paint and Rust-oleum Milk Paint are not actually milk paint and they do not fit the characteristics listed in this post.

Milk Paint Application and Finish

The milk paint powder needs to be mixed with water (in a 1:1 ratio) in order to make the paint. Using a milk frother or battery powered whisk is ideal for mixing the paint thoroughly.

trick to mixing milk paint to get a smooth finish

Tip: The better you mix the paint, the less color variation you’ll see when painting. Even with thorough mixing, you may see some very slight variations. However, it will be much more pronounced if you mix less.

I personally love the slight streaks of color, but I only like to see it when you get up close to the paint. If I step away, I prefer not to see much, so I always use a power mixer to fully mix when using milk paint.

Due to the milk caseins in the paint, it only has a shelf life of 1-2 weeks after mixing with water. Storing it in the fridge helps to extend the life of the paint. However, if it starts to smell like sour milk, it’s not usable anymore!

When I Love to Use Milk Paint

I love using milk paint when I am painting old, antique pieces with a simple, classic shape. Milk paint creates this slight color variation throughout the piece that just can not be replicated with any other type of paint.

However, if a piece already has details, intricate curves or details, I personally find milk paint to be a little too much.

If I do want an intentionally chippy finish, I also reach for milk paint. Although there are ways to intentionally create chipping with the use of resists, only milk paint can do this naturally. I always use a clear, water-based topcoat to finish chippy pieces because it stops any future chipping. If wax or oil is used, the paint will continue to chip over time.

color wash on wood using milk paint

I also love using watered-down milk paint to create color wash on raw wood. Milk paint penetrates the pores of the wood and results in a beautiful light color wash that accentuates the wood grain.

PROS OF MILK PAINT

  • Eco-friendly, 100% natural, non-toxic paint
  • Can create a chippy or non-chippy look easily
  • Penetrates porous surfaces like raw wood and brick
  • Easily thinned to create beautiful washes on wood
  • Powder is easy to mix together to create custom colors

CONS OF MILK PAINT

  • Powder must be mixed with water to form paint
  • Needs an additional bonding agent if used on non-porous surfaces
  • Short shelf life once mixed and needs to be stored in the fridge due to the milk component in the paint (it will actually go sour if not!)
  • Cost goes up to purchase the bonding agent separately

Chalk Paint

Chalk-style paint is known for its ease of use when applying it to a piece of furniture. Because it adheres so well, even to finished surfaces, it’s not necessary to sand before painting.

Brands of Chalk Paint

The most well known brand (and the first creator!) of this type of paint is Annie Sloan Chalk Paint. Due to its popularity over 20 years ago, every other paint manufacturer, along with a ton of other small businesses, has a version of chalk paint.

comparison of brands of chalk paint to find the best chalk paint

I compared the 13 most common brands of chalk paint in a side by side test. Although there were many similarities, all of these paints are NOT created equal. I did find quite a few differences in some of them.

In the end, I had a few favorite brands that I could name as the best brands of chalk paint.

Chalk Paint Application and Finish

Due to the calcium carbonate in the paint, chalk type paint sticks very well to most surfaces without the need for sanding or priming.

Tip: Although priming is not needed for adhesion, sometimes you do need to prime before using chalk paint to hide bleed through. You can read all the details on when to prime before painting furniture and the best primers to use in my full post.

Chalk paint can be quite thick (some brands more than others), so it’s important to paint in sections. This helps you to avoid brush dragging, which happens when the paint starts to dry before you’ve finished painting a section.

No matter which brand you use, chalk paint will create some texture that can be felt on the surface of your piece. Now, some brands create much more texture with the feeling of ridges from brush strokes while other brands level much better.

Use a paint sample from the any home improvement store to make your own DIY chalk paint to easily paint furniture in any color! Modern dark green dresser painted with DIY chalk paint.

If you’re looking for a smoother finish, you can sand your entire piece with 320 grit sandpaper and this will remove most of that texture. If you are looking for a super smooth, modern finish, jump ahead to read my recommendations.

When I Love Using Chalk Paint

I love using chalk paint on smaller DIY projects. It sticks so well which makes it perfect for a quick paint update on picture frames, crafts and other decor projects.

I don’t usually choose to use this type of paint on larger pieces of furniture. Personally, I am not a huge fan of the textured brush strokes that some brands can create. Plus, now that I know how easy and quick it is to properly prep furniture for painting, the extra adhesion in chalk paint just isn’t needed.

I also like to make my own chalk paint for small projects by using small paint sample containers in any custom color. Here’s the best way to make DIY chalk paint.

PROS OF CHALK PAINT

  • Adheres very well to almost all surfaces – minimal prep needed!
  • Many manufacturers of chalk style paint which allows you to purchase within your price point
  • Some brands can be tinted in any color swatch

CONS OF CHALK PAINT

  • Will have some texture once it dries (shows some brush strokes) – It needs to be sanded lightly to get a smooth finish
  • Thick consistency of some brands can make it difficult to apply

Choosing The Right Paint for your Project

Choosing between chalk paint vs milk paint will completely depend on the piece you are painting and the look you are going for.

Both paints can create a distressed look which works great for a shabby-chic or a farmhouse look. However, they can also be used to create a much more smooth, uniform look as well.

If you’re looking for a super smooth, modern finish, I would actually not use chalk paint or milk paint. Instead, I would recommend an all-in-one paint (General Finishes Milk Paint is my favorite and NOT actually a milk paint) or an alkyd-enamel paint.

comparison of best furniture paint with chalk paint, milk paint, latex paint, acrylic all in one paint and alkyd paint

This post gives all the details on the five main types of furniture paint and when to use them on furniture. It’s helpful for figuring out the best paint to use on furniture depending on the look you’re going for.

I hope this post was helpful in determining the best paint for your next furniture painting project. Please feel free to comment below or send me an email with any thoughts or questions!

when to use milk paint versus chalk paint with pros and cons for each one
Jenny at Refresh Living (dev.refreshliving.com)

Post by Jenny Leads

Jenny is the voice behind Refresh Living. She has a passion for helping people to create a home they love without spending a lot of money.

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *